Immaculée
Ilibagiza
was born in Rwanda and studied Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at
the National University of Rwanda. Her life transformed dramatically in
1994 during the Rwanda genocide when she and seven other women huddled
silently together in a cramped bathroom of a local pastor’s house for 91
days! During this horrific ordeal, Immaculée lost most of her family,
but she survived to share the story and her miraculous transition into
forgiveness and a profound relationship with God.

To
really know Immaculée, listen to how others describe her: “In all of my
countless hours with her, in a multitude of private and public settings,
this transcendentally spiritual woman always – and I mean always –
shines a light that captures everyone within its boundaries,” says
internationally renowned author and speaker Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. “The very
first moment we met, I knew in an absolute flash of insight that I was
in the presence of a uniquely Divine woman. To me, Immaculée was not
only left to tell this mind-blowing story, but more than that, she’s a
living example of what we can all accomplish when we go within and
choose to truly live in perfect harmony with our originating Spirit.”

“Immaculée is a stunningly beautiful woman who emanates peace and
light,” adds women’s wellness pioneer and best-selling author Dr.
Christiane Northrup. “Her story is one that confirms the existence of
power of a Divine Source. When I read her book, I came to understand and
trust at a whole new level that true communion with God is possible for
every one of us.”

Four years after the Rwandan tragedy, Immaculée immigrated to the United
States and began working for the United Nations in New York City. She
has since established the Left to Tell Charitable Fund to help others
heal from the long-term effects of genocide and war.

There’s another interesting story about how Immaculée called upon God in
a different chapter of her life. This time, she asked God to bring her
the man of her dreams. She sat down with a piece of paper and sketched
the face of the person she wanted to marry, listing his height, a strong
character, and other endearing characteristics. Three months later, she
met her husband, Bryan Black, who came to Rwanda to set up the UN court
that would prosecute those responsible for planning the genocide.
Immaculée says that he was “sent by God, courtesy of the UN, all the way
from America!”

Left to Tellhas sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide, been made into a
documentary, and through her Left to Tell Charitable Fund has raised
over $150,000 for the orphans of Rwanda. Ms. Ilibagiza has been invited
to speak to a range of audiences including dignitaries of the world,
multinational corporations, churches, and local school children. The
importance of her story has been recognized and honored with numerous
humanitarian awards, including an honorary doctoral degree from the
prestigious University of Notre Dame; the Mahatma Gandhi International
Award for Reconciliation and Peace 2007; a finalist as one of
Beliefnet.com’s “Most Inspiring People of the Year 2006;” and a
Christopher Award, “affirming the highest values of human spirit.”Left
to Tell has been chosen as Outreach Magazine’s
selection for “Best Outreach Testimony/Biography Resource of 2007, and
for the 2007-2008 One Book program at Villanova University making it a
mandatory read for 6,000 students.

Immaculée lives in Manhattan with her husband and their two children.
Left to Tell
is Immaculée’s first book.